December 13, 1912 AC 

Once more, Lis dashed through Krakor's alleyways. It was the final night before the Ofiary Day. Her footsteps were shaky and the stone beneath her seemed to swallow her every move. She urged herself to keep moving, to forget the coming day. There was nothing she could do to stop it. The nobles would be surrounded by chimeras and corpses. Attacking them was suicide. Sabotaging them was asking for unneeded trouble. If she was caught, she would be sentenced to death, her own soul torn away from her. She had a life in the clock tower and within the shadows of the city. Why would she even think to jeopardize her situation? 

And yet, her stomach churned and her footsteps stung with pain. Her mind was flooded with memories of the Ofiary Day she had seen. She halted between two buildings. And then, she looked towards the ground. Before her was a puddle. The water was smooth, undisturbed by the light breeze around her. It reflected the vast night sky. The white stars were mere pinpricks of light, and yet, they were soothing in a way. 

However, her gaze was most captivated by the sphere in the night sky's centre. The sphere was dark purple in colour, broken only by patches of black and blue. She looked up to see Umbreus, the sister planet to her own world Radrial. As she gazed upon Umbreus, her mind was set adrift. Did life exist on that planet? Were there people like in Vryland? Were they bound by those above them, or did they bask in the joy of freedom?

A scream tore her from her mind. Lis covered her ears as the piercing noise grew louder and louder. She leapt onto a nearby roof, then snuck to the edge of the building. Below her were two enormous skoloss. The hideous beasts were scarcely more that rotting flesh clinging to skeletons in the midst of decay. And yet, they were strong. They had seized two children and were dragging them away. She recognized the two children. They were the same ones she had met the night she learned of the Nocswehr. She watched as they struggled against their captors. One kicked her feet and twisted her arms whilst the other bit at the limb that held her.

Try as they might, they could not break free from the corpses' iron grips. Behind them, their mother shouted frantically. She reached out for them only for a skoloss to swing an arm backwards. She was struck on the head. The blow broke her skull. Bone fragments jutted out of her skin and blood splattered against the cobblestones. The children's cries grew louder and they hung limp as the corpses dragged them away. Lis watched them go. She urged her feet to leave. There was nothing she could do.

And yet, she was frozen. What are you doing? Lis cursed herself. Move! What are they to you? Furiously, she wrenched one leg free of the ground and turned away from the alleyway. But then, as she set her foot on the ground, she froze again. She looked back at the children. They had renewed their struggle to escape. And yet, they failed. They were feeble before the might of the skoloss. And then, they froze. They looked up as the iron-beaked noble approached them. Their eyes widened and they cowered before him. He turned away but not before inhaling the life from one girl.

The child's head swung back so far Lis thought her neck was broken. The girl gazed upon the sky, her face twisted in a soundless scream. Her skin grew grey and her eyes dwindled in colour. All the while, blue streams of light flowed from the girl's body and into the noble's mouth. And then, her head slumped forward, a dead weight stuck to her neck. The other girl watched in frozen horror. She was utterly silent, her eyes wider than ever. She remained motionless as the corpse regained its stride.

Then, Lis felt a flame awaken deep within herself. The flame was small, delicate, ready to vanish the following moment. And yet, it did not. It grew larger and larger, stronger and stronger, until she was all but engulfed in it. She recalled the day her father was killed by the heartless nobles. He was torn apart like the nameless mother. She was like the surviving girl, powerless before the cruelty of the world. That was then. This was now. She had power, the final gift from her father. With it, she could save the girl.

From the roof, Lis scanned her surroundings. Before her were the blue waters of the Kryzat River. Its banks were dominated by swathes of cafés as well as little restaurants. However, there was also a large bakery nestled between two cafés. Lis looked at it and smiled. She checked for signs of danger, then leapt off the roof. She dashed to the bakery and unlocked the door with her pin. Within it, she scoured the shelves until she came upon six bags of flour. One by one, she carried the bags out of the bakery. And then, she closed the door behind her.

The streets were silent and empty save for the occasional lone horsecar. She carried the bags, two at a time, towards the south end of the city. Beside the Kryzat River was a wide open square. This square was covered not with tiles but with a grassy field. It was empty save for two rows of trees that ran parallel to the river. Lis placed a bag of flour on six of the trees. And then, she waited amongst the branches. Through the leaves before her, she watched as Umbreus disappeared before the sun. The Ofiary Day had come. This time, the day would not belong to the nobles. Of this, she was adamant.

December 14, 1912 AC

Andre marched beside the iron-beaked noble. He said nothing. Instead, he scanned the crowds that had gathered throughout the field. They were all dressed in the finest attires they owned. Women dressed in ruffled dresses and velvet coats. They wore hats coated with flowers and gears. They wore gloves over their hands, each lightly coloured and perfectly smooth. The men stood tall and neat in the light coats and dark pants. They wore top hats rimmed with goggles or bowler hats boasting chequered patterns. Though they were silent, Andre could see eagerness spreading throughout the crowd.

Confetti rained down from the roofs. The sound of trumpets reverberated throughout the skies. Andre remained silent though the others burst into cheer. At the head of the square were two rows of children. They were dressed all in white. Girls wore tight dresses with black bow ties whilst bodys wore shorts and velvet coats. They watched as the gadzina were paraded before them. Each gadzina was a miserable speciment. Rags clung to their thin frames. Their heads hung low and each step they took was unsteady. Andre noted mostly elderly in their ranks. However, his heart stopped upon seeing a child. Air disappeared from his lungs and he immediately felt lightheaded. It was not the first time he had seen a child gadzina as one of the sacrifices. And yet, every time, it filled him with disgust.

"Ready Andre?" said the masked noble.

"Yes sir," muttered Andre.

He turned towards the first gadzina that approached him. Instead of bowing, this gadzina met his eyes. Through those twin dark pools, Andre saw a swirling maelstrom of emotions. A bit was fear, reflected in the dilation of the pupils. A bit was anger, seen in the stiffness of the irises. A bit was hatred aimed directly at him. Andre sighed and steeled his resolve. A few seconds was all it would take to extract the souls. He would make it painless. A few short seconds and it would be over. The gadzina would not have to suffer.

As Andre prepared the extraction, Lis already exhaled. Upon her breath were swirls of light. There were red swirls and yellow swirls, violet and blue swirls too. The light flowed through the air and entered the trees that held the flour bags. The crowd were stunned by the appearance of light. The ceremony had not yet begun. Andre observed the lights in wonder, but also apprehension. Carefully, he approached the tree from which the light originated. He reached inside his coat pocket for his revolver. He felt reassured by the feeling of metal in his hand. He glanced at the masked noble, who held a flintlock in his hand. Andre smiled. His revolver carried six shots to the flintlock's one. He held a tactical advantage over his companion. If anyone was to protect the ceremony, it would be him.

Lis however, ignored the crowd. Her mind was blank as her body enacted the plan she had brewed in her mind. The trees that held the bags were in between the crowd and the two nobles that led the ceremony. The trees were surrounded by chimeras. The chimeras were always placed there every single year. They were directly within the path of the assault she was to bring. She willed the tree branches to change their shape, tightening around the bags. The bags popped, sending an explosion of flour towards the chimeras.

The crowd around froze, stunned by what they had seen. Andre halted mid-step as a flour cloud came his way. He leapt away, fearing that the flour may conceal an attacker. Through the corner of his eye, he noted that Iron Beak had also leapt away from the flour. Lis however, smiled. She had succeeded in repelling the nobles and their forces, though she had used all her souls to do so. She leapt to the gadzina child and slung the child's left arm over her shoulder. And then, she leapt onto a nearby rooftop. For a split second, she hesitated. There were dozens of other gadzina still trapped in the square. They were all a miserable bunch, so close to a horrid death. And yet, she tore herself away. There was nothing she could do to help them.

She leapt away from the roof, carrying with her the gadzina child. As she leapt from rooftop to rooftop, Lis supported the girl with her right arm and tossed twigs away with her left. The twigs all carried her scent. The girl though remained silent until Lis halted in an alleyway by Malbrink. It was then that the child said "who are you?"

"Lis," she replied.

"Why did you help me?"

"I don't really know," said Lis. "I guess you reminded me of myself in a way. It brought back memories I wish remained hidden."

"I see," said the girl. She turned her head to the ground.

"What will you do now?" asked Lis.

"I don't know," the girl muttered. Her eyes were narrowed as she looked upon the ground.

The girl's eyes watered and Lis stood in silence, shifting her feet. Should I say something? she wondered. Lis hesitated. Choosing her next words with care, she said "how's about you stay with me at Malbrink? There's room in the clock tower and I wouldn't mind some help." 

Upon finishing her sentence, Lis examined the girl, relieved to see that she nodded. Then, Lis said "you never told me your name yet."

"It's Lena," she replied.

As Lis led Lena into the clock tower, Andre finished with the ceremony. He waited for the last noble to leave the square, then slumped against a tree. His chimeras had returned, finding no trace of the mysterious figure that had taken the gadzina girl. Instead, the chimeras found twigs that carried a pungent odour. The aroma was that of filth and it clogged his nose with a putrid miasma. The miasma also contained hints of coal and metal.

These clues would do nothing to help him track the figure. There were dozens of factories in Krakor, each of which burned coal. The figure could be in any of them, or perhaps she was elsewhere entirely. Reluctantly, he straightened himself and trudged back towards his father's manor. He hesitated before the balcony door and inhaled deeply before he gripped the knob. He twisted the knob carefully, as though it might lessen his father's wrath. It wouldn't though, that much he knew, but it gave him a modicum of control.

When he opened the door to his father's study, he braced himself for a vicious tirade. It never came. Instead, his father's cold voice said "how goes the Ofiary Day?"

Andre forced himself to avoid raising an eyebrow. Did no one tell his father what had happened? Relief filled his heart and he quickly replied "it was fine. I've completed the ceremony with only one little hassle."

"And that would be?"

"There was a figure that stole one of the gadzina," said Andre. Stole. He hated that word. Still, it was a word his father oft used and so, he must too.

His father said "and who was this mysterious figure?"

"I believe it was the Phantom Thief." Andre then held out one of the twigs the chimeras gave him. "This twig contains a pungent odour. This must be how the thief's been able to deceive our chimeras."

"I believe you're right."

Andre widened his eyes. He could scarcely believe his ears. Could it be, his father was finally giving importance to what he had to say. Eagerly, he said "shall I hunt her down sir? I promise I won't fail you!"

His father gave him a curious glance. And then, to his relief, Klaudius nodded. Andre bowed to his father and turned to face the door. But then, his father said "is this gadzina working alone or is she in a group?"

"I'm not sure sir," Andre replied.

"Speak to your brother. He is to lead this expedition."

Andre's heart sank. Those words were exactly what he did not wish to hear. Desperately, Andre said "with all due respect sir, but Crozius need not waste his time with such a trivial matter. It's a task below his ability. Also, I do not believe that this gadzina is part of a group. If that was true, then why did she not cause more havoc at the ceremony? It would be the perfect opportunity to break our power as nobles! I promise you, as your humble son, that I will bring this gadzina's corpse back to you as a reminder of our power!"

To his relief, his father nodded. "Your words do make sense. Very well, you may conduct this hunt however you see fit."

"Thank you sir!" exclaimed Andre as he bolted out the door.